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I’m Kate Smola, a creative and innovative instructional designer with experience designing course content, learning activities, and training materials across various modalities.
With a curiosity about how people think and learn, I thrive on simplifying complex concepts by creating engaging learning experiences that drive results.
In leadership roles, I take a collaborative approach, leveraging interpersonal skills and keen attention to detail to successfully manage deadline-driven projects.
I possess a comprehensive understanding of instructional design frameworks, adult learning theory, and effective evaluation methods. I'm proficient in using tools such as Articulate Storyline / Rise, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, Vyond, Microsoft and Google Suites. Additionally, I have experience applying logical structures within coding.
I stay current with learning trends by reading, exploring new technology, and engaging with the learning and development community.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with loved ones, gardening under the sun and immersing myself in a good book.
Thank you for visiting. I look forward to connecting with you.
Design Process
Design Process
Learner-centric approaches to enhance employee performances are central to support business goals.
Beginning with a needs analysis, I partner with subject matter experts (SMEs) and stakeholders to identify the performance gaps of a target audience, and whether training will be a solution.
Early alignment of learner actions with business goals serves as a dependable framework to shape every facet of the learner's journey.
Needs analysis from the e-Learning course Handling Negative Online Feedback.
Backed by research, key learner actions are mapped out and aligned with specific measurable learning objectives to ensure the resulting project includes relevant content and activities to support the learner's construction of knowledge and skills.
Action mapping from the e-Learning course Efficiency Hacks for Remote Work.
A design document and storyboard are developed to outline content, instructional strategies and evaluations, which would be used to develop meaningful experiences aimed at helping learners succeed.
Given the dynamic nature of learning needs, creating projects is an ongoing process that requires constant feedback and an iterative design approach.
To enhance the retention and application of adult learners, I employ a wide variety of real-world interactions, including branched scenarios, case studies, and intentional exercises in formative and summative assessments, to effectively address performance gaps.
Technology Skills and Competencies
Technology Skills and Competencies
Articulate Storyline / Rise
Adobe Captivate
TechSmith Camtasia
Vyond
Microsoft Office / SharePoint / Teams
Google Suite
Needs / Learner Analysis
Adult Learning Theory
Job Aids
Storyboards
Kirkpatrick’s Levels of Evaluation
Design Documents
Microlearning
ADDIE Model
Blended Learning
AI-enhanced Learning Design
Amazon Polly AI Voiceover
508 Compliance
Agile Environments
Learning Management Systems
SCORM
Instructor-Led Training (ILT) / Virtual ILT
Credentials
Credentials
DHS Trusted Tester Certification for Section 508 Compliance
DHS Trusted Tester Certification for Section 508 Compliance
Certified Section 508 Trusted Tester (DHS) with expertise in WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 compliance across healthcare, corporate, and government content. Skilled in manual testing, code inspection, and remediation to ensure accessible, inclusive digital experiences.
Applied Instructional Design Certification
Applied Instructional Design Certification
This credential was earned upon completing numerous lessons, receiving extensive coaching, and completing a rigorous set of learning activities with practice, feedback, multiple revisions, resulting in the completion of simulated client projects.
Instructional Design Process
Instructional Design Process
This credential was earned upon completing training on the instructional design process from kick-off meeting to hand-off at the end, including all deliverables and interactions with SMEs, and completing a rigorous set of learning activities that include designing a design document and storyboard that receives extensive feedback and goes through multiple revisions.
e-Learning Development
e-Learning Development
This credential was earned upon completing over 100+ lessons and receiving extensive coaching from ID professional coaches, and completing a rigorous set of learning activities that take courses from "good" to "great" and increase engagement among learners, include developing a scenario-driven e-Learning course with extensive feedback, evaluating existing courses, completing simulated client projects, and multiple revisions.
Articulate Storyline
Articulate Storyline
This credential was earned upon completing training, receiving extensive coaching, and completing a project, learning and practicing the principles that make a Storyline course go from "good" to "great," increasing engagement among learners, and completing a rigorous set of activities that include developing an e-Learning course and receiving extensive feedback with multiple revisions to pass certain criteria.
Articulate Rise
Articulate Rise
This credential was earned upon completing training, receiving extensive coaching, and completing a project, learning and practicing the principles that make a Rise course go from "good" to "great," increasing engagement among learners, and developing a Rise course that receives extensive feedback and multiple revisions to pass certain criteria.
TechSmith Camtasia
TechSmith Camtasia
This credential was earned upon completing training, receiving extensive training on the tool and practice the principles that make a Camtasia video go from "good" to "great," increasing engagement among learners, and developing a Camtasia course that receives extensive feedback and multiple revisions to pass certain criteria.
Vyond
Vyond
This credential was earned upon completing training, receiving extensive coaching, and completing a project. Earners receive extensive training on the tool and practice the principles that make a Vyond video go from "good" to "great," increasing engagement among learners. They create a Vyond video that receives extensive feedback, and goes through multiple revisions. Projects must pass certain criteria to receive badge.
Instructional Design Fundamentals
Instructional Design Fundamentals
This credential was earned upon completing 50+ lessons in adult learning theory and application, business goal/problem and target audience definition, action mapping, writing performance-based learning objectives and assessments, and effectively chunking, sequencing, and organizing content to match, and submitting a content map, receive extensive feedback from ID professionals, and meet certain criteria.
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